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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — a division
  18. stock — goods
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com